Safety device for the guiding wheel of a vehicle



L. PRAS July 30, 1963 SAFETY DEVICE FOR THE GUIDING WHEEL OF A VEICLE'Filed June 1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4M. WM

L. PRAS July 30, 1963 SAFETY DEVICE FOR THE GUIDING WHEEL 0F A VEHICLE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l, 1956 United States Patent Gee 3,099,491Patented July 30, 1963 3,099,491 SAFETY DEVICE FOR THE GUIDING WHEEL F AVEHICLE Lucien Pras, Billancourt, France, assignor to` Regie Nationaledes Usines Renault, Billancourt, France Filed June l, 1956, Ser. No.588,740 Claims priority, application France June 10, 1955 4 Claims. (Cl.301-126) The invention relates to a safety device for Ithe guiding wheelof a vehicle and more particularly for a lateral guiding wheel having avjournal with a vertical axis, with particular application to theguiding of the wheels of rail vehicles, and enabling the wheel to beprevented from -falling in the event of the journal breaking.

The invention consists essentially in the provision, through the hollowpivoting or fixed journal carrying the wheel, of a shaft having a lowerdisc forming an arresting device, carried by a support rigidly connectedto the chas-sis of the vehicle, said disc receiving the wheel andpreventing it from falling in the event of the journal breaking.

On the accompanying drawing:

FIGURE l is a section on the axis of a rotatable journal;

FIGURE 2 is a modification of the arrangement in FIGURE l and also has arotatable journal;

FIGURE 3 is'a section of the same type of construction as in FIGURE 1,but having a fixed journal;

FIGURE 4 is a modification of the arrangement in FIGURE 3 and also has alfixed journal.

The embodiments in FIGURES 2 and 4 relate more particularly to devicesadapted to prevent the detachment of the wheel if the fixing nuts shouldbecome unscrewed.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the device comprises an axle1 which can rotate with the wheel centered vertically in a support 2which is fixed to the bogie, chassis or any other part of the vehicle,for example a railway vehicle. Between said axle 1 and the support 2 ismounted the necessary system of rolling bearings la, as can be seen inthe drawing to permit free rotation of axle t1. The axle comprises acollar 3 forming a support for the wheel 4 and to which said wheel issecured.

The axle 1 has an internal bore to permit the .passage of a shaft 5carrying, at the bottom, a disc 6 intended to support the wheel in theevent of breakage of the axle 1. This shaft 5 is iixed in a positivem-anner to the support 2 by means of the cover 7 for example. The outerdiameter D of the disc 6 is greater than the minor diameter d of theaxle supporting the wheel.

In the device in FIGURE 1, the safety Ifeature comes into play only inthe case of breakage of the axle. FIG- URE 2 shows the same device inwhich the disc 6 of FIGURE 1 is replaced by the cup 8, the diameter ofwhich is greater than that of the disc 6, to retain the wheel 4 in theevent the wheel nuts come undone.

By way of non-limiting example, FIGURE 2 illustrates another possiblemounting arrangement for a rotatable axle. Fixed in the member 7 ofFIGURE 2 is a drilled `shaft 9 having a tapered bore at the bottom.

This tapered bore receives the tapered stem 110 of the cup 8, theimmobilization of the latter being obtained by the wedging of theengaged tapered portions and the portions of the stem 10 engaged withthe member 9. A rod 11 rigidly connected to the stem 10 by screwthreads, locks the assembly, -by bearing against the member 7. In orderto dismantle the wheel, the lock-nut is unscrewed from the rod 11, thestem 10 is disengaged and the rod 11 is unscrewed from the stem '10. Themember 8 is free and permits dismounting of 'the wheel 4.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 3 which has a fixed journal, the axle 1 is aIfixed hollow axle, on which is mounted, with the interposition of thenecessary rolling bearings 2a, the hu-b 12 carrying the wheel 4. Shaft 5is -fixedly secured to support y13. Mounted inside the axle 1 is theshaft 5, fixed in a positive manner to the support 13 by means of a cupy14 rigidly connected to said support. At the bottom, said shaft 5carries a disc |15 which serves as an arresting disc for thewheel-carrying huby in the event of breakage of the axle 1. It should benoted that the hub 12 bears on the disc, in the event of breakage `ofthe axle, by means of an auxiliary collar 16 rigidly connected to saidhub.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3, the safety feature comes into playonly in the case of breakage of the axle 1 in its housing in the member13. In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4, which has a fixed shaft 5, themember 15 of FIGURE 3 is replaced by the member 8, the diameter of whichis greater Ithan that of the member 15, to retain the wheel 4 in theevent the nuts 9 come unscrewed. FIGURE 4 shows one of the possi-blemounting arrangements. The sha-ft 5 of FIGURE 3 is drilled out .andcomprises a tapered bore at the bottom. This tapered 'bore receives thestem |10 of the cup 8, the immobilization 'of said stem 10l beingobtained by the wedging of the tapers of the stem 10 and the shaft 5 andby the lia-ts on the stem 10 engaged with the hub of the cup 8. A rod1-1 which screws into the stem 10 locks the assembly, bearing againstthe member 14. The dismounting of the wheel is effected in the samemanner as in the previous case (FIGURE 2). It is understood that theseembodiments are only given by way of non-limiting example, and that theymay comprise any vari-ants and modications of details.

I claim:

1. In a lateral guiding Wheel assembly for railway vehicles and the likehaving a hollow casing member having an upper end and a lower end andfixed to the frame of the vehicle, an axle disposed on a vertical axisand rotatably journalled in said member, said Iaxle having a bodyportion formed with an axial bore, and a wheel rotatable in a horizontalplane connected to said axle, in combination, a safety device forpreventing loss of the wheel upon breaking of the axle7 said safetydevice comprising a rigid shaft unit secured at a iirst end to the upperend of said member and extending through said bore independently of saidaxle, and a supporting element supported from the other end of saidshaft unit, said element having portions extending radially `from saidelement beyond the periphery of said axial bore and thereby underlyingthe axle but being normally out of contact with said axle and with thewheel but being effective to support said axle and said wheel -byengagement therewith upon breaking of said axle and dropping of saidwheel into engagement with said supporting element, said safety devicebeing free from supporting action with respect to said wheel during thenormal operation of said wheel and being free from all forces lactingupon and transmitted by said wheel.

2. In a lateral guiding -wheel assembly for railway vehicles and thelike having a hollow casing member having an upper end and a lower endand iixed to the frame of the vehicle, an axle disposed on a verticalaxis 'and rotatably journalled in said member, said axle having a bodyportion lformed with an axial bore, and a wheel rotatable in ahorizontal plane connected to said axle, and a bearing support securedto the vehicle `frame and rotatably carrying said axle, in combination,a safety device for preventing loss of the wheel upon breaking of theaxle, said safety device comprising a rigid shaft unit secured at aiirst end to the upper end of said member and extending through saidbore independently -of said axle, and a supporting element supportedfrom the `other end of said shaft unit, said element having portionsextending radially from said element beyond the periphery of said axialbore and thereby underlying the body portion of the axle but beingnormally out of contact with said axle and with the wheel but beingeffective to support said axle and said wheel by engagement therewithupon breaking of said axle and dropping of said wheel into engagementkwith said supporting element, said safety device being free fromsupporting action with respect to said wheel during the normal operationof said wheel and being free from all forces acting upon :andtransmitted by said wheel.

3. In `a lateral guiding wheel assembly for railway vehicles and thelike having a hollow casing member having an upper end and a lower endand xed to the frame of the vehicle, an axle disposed on a vertical axisand rotatably journalled in said member, said axle being xed to thevehicle guiding wheel `and having a body portion formed with an axialbore, a hub rotatably mounted on said axle and `a wheel rotatable in ahorizontal plane connected to said hub, in combination, a safety devicefor preventing loss of the wheel upon breaking of the axle, said safetydevice comprising a rigid shaft unit secured at a first end to the upperend of said member and extending through said bore independently of saidaxle, and a supporting element supported `from the other end of saidshaft unit, said element having portions extending radially Ifrom saidelement beyond he periphery of said axial bore and thereby underlyingthe body portion of the axle but being normally out of contact with saidaxle and with the wheel but lbeing effective to support said axle andsaid wheel by engagement therewith upon breaking of said axle anddropping of said wheel into engagement with said supporting element,said safety device being free from supporting action -with respect tosaid Wheel during the normal operation of said wheel and being free fromall -forces acting upon and transmitted by said wheel.

4. In a vlateral yguiding wheel assembly for railway vehicles and thelike having a hollow casing member having .4 an upper end and a lowerendand xed to the Iframe of the vehicle, an axle disposed on a verticalaxis and rotatably journalled in said member, said axle having a bodyportion formed with an Laxial bore, and a wheel rotatable in ahorizontal plane connected to said axle by a supporting web to whichsaid wheel issecured, in combination, a safety device for preventingloss of the wheel upon breaking of the axle, said safety devicecomprising a rigid shaft unit secured at a rst end to the upper end ofsaid member -and extending through said bore independently of said axle,and a supporting element carried at the other' end of said shaft unit,said element having portions extending radially from said element beyondthe periphery of said axial bore and thereby underlying the body portionof the .axle and at least a portion of said web but being normally outof contact with said axle and with the web but being effective tosupport said axle and said wheel by engagement therewith upon `droppingof said Wheel into engagement with said supporting element, saidsupporting element including a tapered hub and said shaft unit includingIa hollowv shaft element having a partially tapered bore for engagementwith said last-named hub an -a rod extending through said shaft element,said rod being secured to said Ilast-named hub and supported from saimember fixed to the vehicle frame, said safety device' being free fromsupporting action with respect to said wheel during the normal operationof said wheel and being free rfrom all tonces acting upon andtransmitted by said wheel.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,475,745 Bunger Nov. 27, 1923 2,037,982 Hughes Apr. 2l, 1936 2,468,386Walter Apr. 26, 1949

1. IN A LATERAL GUIDING WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES AND THE LIKEHAVING A HOLLOW CASING MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER END AND A LOWER END ANDFIXED TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE, AN AXLE DISPOSED ON A VERTICAL AXISAND ROTATABLY JOURNALLED IN SAID MEMBER, SAID AXLE HAVING A BODY PORTIONFORMED WITH AN AXIAL BORE, AND A WHEEL ROTATABLE IN A HORIZONTAL PLANECONNECTED TO SAID AXLE, IN COMBINATION, A SAFETY DEVICE FOR PREVENTINGLOSS OF THE WHEEL UPON BREAKING OF THE AXLE, SAID SAFETY DEVICECOMPRISING A RIGID SHAFT UNIT SECURED AT A FIRST END TO THE UPPER END OFSAID MEMBER AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BORE INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID AXLE,AND A SUPPORTING ELEMENT SUPPORTED FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID SHAFTUNIT, SAID ELEMENT HAVING PORTIONS EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID ELEMENTBEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID AXIAL BORE AND THEREBY UNDERLYING THE AXLEBUT BEING NORMALLY OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID AXLE AND WITH THE WHEEL BUTBEING EFFECTIVE TO SUPPORT SAID AXLE AND SAID WHEEL BY ENGAGEMENTTHEREWITH UPON BREAKING OF SAID AXLE AND DROPPING OF SAID WHEEL INTOENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUPPORTING ELEMENT, SAID SAFETY DEVICE BEING FREEFROM SUPPORTING ACTION WITH RESPECT TO SAID WHEEL DURING THE NORMALOPERATION OF SAID WHEEL AND BEING FREE FROM ALL FORCES ACTING UPON ANDTRANSMITTED BY SAID WHEEL.